Now in its sixth year, Hoofin' 4 Hardy raises money to support free testing for Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) in local high school students. HCM is a genetic heart condition that causes an excessive thickening of the heart muscle with no apparent cause, and HCM is the leading cause of sudden cardiac arrest in young people.

Proceeds from Hoofin’ 4 Hardy will fund free EKG testing, which screens for HCM,to high-school students in the suburban Chicago area.

Hoofin' 4 Hardy was created in 2009 following the death of the event namesake, Joshua Jared Hardy, then a 21 year-old student at the University of Illinois. A victim of HCM, Jared is an example of tragedy that can strike young, athletic, and otherwise healthy people.

In addition to HCM testing, proceeds from Hoofin' 4 Hardy honor Jared through a scholarship to a Fremd High School athlete and a donation to the University of Illinois Technology & Management program.